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Borderline personality
Its been 6 months i almost daily feel tired, exhausted, depressed. i have wild mood swings. My friends and family always kept telling me that my mood swings would 1 day destroy the relationships and i need to control myself. Initially i ignored everything thinking that my hectic schedule may be responsible but as days passed by I realised that something is not normal. I was getting more and more depressed. I also had hard time when in relationships. I was myself confused with my behavior. 4 months back i started self harming. i cut, scratch and dig fingernails into my skin. I also have occasional suicidal tendencies. Everything i feel is extreme be it good or bad. i am afraid of abandonment. well, there is a lot i want to say. I self diagnosis i think i have BPD. i don't really know for sure. i am confused but the symptoms are clearly seen. i need help. Thank you.
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Pls consult a psychiatrist immediately and take medication along with therapy.
Next Steps
Seek help from a therapist. Therapy is commonly the first treatment option for people suffering from BPD. Pay attention to how you feel. One common problem faced by people suffering from BPD is being unable to recognize, identify, and label their emotions. Taking some time to slow down during an emotional experience and think about what you are experiencing can help you learn to regulate your emotions. Try “checking in” with yourself several times throughout the day. For example, you might take a brief break from work to close your eyes and “check in” with your body and your emotions. Note whether you feel tense or achy physically. Think about whether you have been dwelling on a particular thought or feeling for some time. Taking note of how you feel can help you learn to recognize your emotions, and that will help you better regulate them.Try to be as specific as possible. For example, rather than thinking “I’m so angry I just can’t stand it!” try to note where you think the emotion is coming from: “I’m feeling angry because I was late to work because I got stuck in traffic.”Try not to judge your emotions as you think about them. For example, avoid saying something to yourself like “I’m feeling angry right now. I’m such a bad person for feeling that way.” Instead, focus just on identifying the feeling without judgment, such as “I am feeling angry because I am hurt that my friend was late.” Distinguish between primary and secondary emotions. Learning to uncover all of the feelings you may experience in a given situation is an important step toward learning emotional regulation. It is common for people with BPD to feel overwhelmed by a whirl of emotions. Take a moment to separate out what you feel first, and what else you may be feeling. For example, if your friend forgot that you were having lunch together today, your immediate reaction might be anger. This would be the primary emotion.That anger could also be accompanied by other feelings. For example, you might feel hurt that your friend forgot you. You might feel fear that this is a sign your friend actually doesn’t care about you. You might feel shame, as though you don’t deserve to have friends remember you. These are all secondary emotions.Considering the source of your emotions can help you learn to regulate them. Use positive self-talk. One way to learn to handle your reactions to situations in a more healthy way is to challenge negative reactions and habits with positive self-talk. It can take awhile to feel comfortable or natural doing this, but it’s helpful. Research has shown that using positive self-talk can help you feel more focused, improve your concentration, and relieve anxiety. Remind yourself that you are worthy of love and respect. Make it a game to find things about yourself that you admire, such as competence, caring, imagination, etc. Remind yourself of these positive things when you find that you are feeling negatively about yourself.Try reminding yourself that unpleasant situations are temporary, limited, and happen to everyone at some point. For example, if your coach criticized your performance at tennis practice, remind yourself that this instance does not characterize every practice in the past or future. Instead of allowing yourself to ruminate on what happened in the past, focus on what you can do to improve next time. This gives you a sense of control over your actions, rather than feeling as though you are being victimized by someone else. Reframe negative thoughts in positive terms. For example, if you did not do well on an exam, your first thought might be “I’m such a loser. I’m worthless and I’m going to fail this course.” This is not helpful, and it isn’t fair to you, either. Instead, think about what you can learn from the experience: “I didn’t do as well as I hoped on this exam. I can speak with my professor to see where my weak areas are and study more effectively for the next exam.” Stop and check in with yourself before reacting to others. A natural reaction for a person with BPD is often anger or despair. For example, if a friend did something to upset you, your first instinct might be to react with a screaming fit and make threats to the other person. Instead, take some time to check in with yourself and identify your feelings. Then, try to communicate them to the other person in a nonthreatening way. For example, if your friend was late to meet you for lunch, your immediate reaction might be anger. You might want to yell at her and ask her why she was so disrespectful to you.Check in with your emotions. What are you feeling? What is the primary emotion, and are there secondary emotions? For example, you might feel angry, but you might also feel fear because you believe the person was late because she doesn’t care about you.In a calm voice, ask the person why she was late without judging or threatening her. Use "I"-focused statements. For example: "I am feeling hurt that you were late to our lunch. Why were you late?" You will probably find that the reason why your friend was late was something innocuous, such as traffic or not being able to find her keys. The "I"-statements keep you from sound like you are blaming the other person. This will help them feel less defensive and more open.Reminding yourself to process your emotions and not to jump to conclusions can help you learn to regulate your responses to other people. Describe your emotions in detail. Try to associate physical symptoms with the emotional states in which you usually experience them. Learning to identify your physical feelings as well as your emotional feelings can help you describe and better understand your emotions.For example, you might feel a sinking in the pit of your stomach in certain situations, but you might not know what the feeling is related to. The next time you feel that sinking, think about what feelings you are experiencing. It could be that this sinking feeling is related to nervousness or anxiety.Once you know that the sinking feeling in your stomach is anxiety, you will eventually feel more in control of that feeling, rather than feeling as though it controls you. Learn self-soothing behaviors. Learning self-soothing behaviors can help keep you calm when you feel in turmoil. These are behaviors that you can do to comfort and show kindness to yourself. Take a hot bath or shower. Research has shown that physical warmth has a soothing effect on many people. Try comforting self-touch. Touching yourself in a compassionate, calming way can help soothe you and relieve stress by releasing oxytocin. Try crossing your arms over your chest and giving yourself a gentle squeeze. Or put your hand over your heart and notice the warmth of your skin, the beat of your heart, and the rise and fall of your chest as you breathe. Take a moment to remind yourself that you are beautiful and worthy. Practice increasing your tolerance of uncertainty or distress. Emotional tolerance is the ability to endure an uncomfortable emotion without reacting to it inappropriately. You can practice this skill by becoming familiar with your emotions, and gradually exposing yourself to unfamiliar or uncertain situations in a safe environment. keep a journal throughout the day that notes whenever you feel uncertain, anxious, or afraid. Be sure to note what situation you were in when you felt this way, and how you responded to it in the moment.Rank your uncertainties. Try to place things that make you anxious or uncomfortable on a scale from 0-10. For example, “going to a restaurant alone” might be a 4, but “letting a friend plan a vacation” might be a 10.Practice tolerating uncertainty. Start with small, safe situations. For example, you could try ordering a dish you’ve never had at a new restaurant. You might or might not enjoy the meal, but that’s not the important thing. You will have shown yourself that you are strong enough to handle uncertainty on your own. You can gradually work up to bigger situations as you feel safe doing so.Record your responses. When you try something uncertain, record what happened. What did you do? How did you feel during the experience? How did you feel afterward? What did you do if it did not turn out as you expected? Do you think you will be able to handle more in the future? Practice unpleasant experiences in a safe way. Your therapist can help you learn to endure uncomfortable emotions by giving you exercises to do. Some things you can do on your own include the following:Hold an ice cube until you feel the negative emotion pass. Focus on the physical sensation of the ice cube in your hand. Notice how it first becomes more intense and then lessens. The same is true of emotions. Visualize an ocean wave. Imagine it building up until it finally crests and then falls. Remind yourself that just like waves, emotions swell and then recede. Get regular exercise. Exercise can help reduce feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression. This is because physical exercise releases endorphins, which are natural “feel-good” chemicals produced by your body. The National Institute of Mental Health recommends that you get regular physical activity to help reduce these negative feelings. Research shows that even moderate exercise, such as walking or gardening, can have these effects. Keep a set schedule. Because instability is one of the hallmarks of BPD, setting a regular schedule for things such as meal times and sleep can be helpful. Fluctuations in your blood sugar or sleep deprivation can make the symptoms of BPD worse. If you have trouble remember to take care of yourself, such as forgetting to eat meals or not going to bed at a healthy time, ask someone to help remind you. Keep your goals realistic. Dealing with any disorder takes time and practice. You won’t experience a complete revolution in a few days. Don’t allow yourself to get discouraged. Remember, you can only do your best, and your best is good enough. Remember that your symptoms will improve gradually, not overnight.
Health Tips
Always take threats of self-harm and suicide seriously. Immediately consult ur doctor or share with your loved one.
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My dear child, pl ease consult a psychologist personally in ur city immediately
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One common problem faced by people suffering from BPD is being unable to recognize, identify, and label their emotions. Taking some time to slow down during an emotional experience and think about what you are experiencing can help you learn to regulate your emotions. Try “checking in” with yourself several times throughout the day. For example, you might take a brief break from work to close your eyes and “check in” with your body and your emotions. Note whether you feel tense or achy physically. Think about whether you have been dwelling on a particular thought or feeling for some time. Taking note of how you feel can help you learn to recognize your emotions, and that will help you better regulate them.Try to be as specific as possible. For example, rather than thinking “I’m so angry I just can’t stand it!” try to note where you think the emotion is coming from: “I’m feeling angry because I was late to work because I got stuck in traffic.”Try not to judge your emotions as you think about them. For example, avoid saying something to yourself like “I’m feeling angry right now. I’m such a bad person for feeling that way.” Instead, focus just on identifying the feeling without judgment, such as “I am feeling angry because I am hurt that my friend was late.” Distinguish between primary and secondary emotions. Learning to uncover all of the feelings you may experience in a given situation is an important step toward learning emotional regulation. It is common for people with BPD to feel overwhelmed by a whirl of emotions. Take a moment to separate out what you feel first, and what else you may be feeling. For example, if your friend forgot that you were having lunch together today, your immediate reaction might be anger. This would be the primary emotion.That anger could also be accompanied by other feelings. For example, you might feel hurt that your friend forgot you. You might feel fear that this is a sign your friend actually doesn’t care about you. You might feel shame, as though you don’t deserve to have friends remember you. These are all secondary emotions.Considering the source of your emotions can help you learn to regulate them. Use positive self-talk. One way to learn to handle your reactions to situations in a more healthy way is to challenge negative reactions and habits with positive self-talk. It can take awhile to feel comfortable or natural doing this, but it’s helpful. Research has shown that using positive self-talk can help you feel more focused, improve your concentration, and relieve anxiety. Remind yourself that you are worthy of love and respect. Make it a game to find things about yourself that you admire, such as competence, caring, imagination, etc. Remind yourself of these positive things when you find that you are feeling negatively about yourself.Try reminding yourself that unpleasant situations are temporary, limited, and happen to everyone at some point. For example, if your coach criticized your performance at tennis practice, remind yourself that this instance does not characterize every practice in the past or future. Instead of allowing yourself to ruminate on what happened in the past, focus on what you can do to improve next time. This gives you a sense of control over your actions, rather than feeling as though you are being victimized by someone else. Reframe negative thoughts in positive terms. For example, if you did not do well on an exam, your first thought might be “I’m such a loser. I’m worthless and I’m going to fail this course.” This is not helpful, and it isn’t fair to you, either. Instead, think about what you can learn from the experience: “I didn’t do as well as I hoped on this exam. I can speak with my professor to see where my weak areas are and study more effectively for the next exam.” Stop and check in with yourself before reacting to others. A natural reaction for a person with BPD is often anger or despair. For example, if a friend did something to upset you, your first instinct might be to react with a screaming fit and make threats to the other person. Instead, take some time to check in with yourself and identify your feelings. Then, try to communicate them to the other person in a nonthreatening way. For example, if your friend was late to meet you for lunch, your immediate reaction might be anger. You might want to yell at her and ask her why she was so disrespectful to you.Check in with your emotions. What are you feeling? What is the primary emotion, and are there secondary emotions? For example, you might feel angry, but you might also feel fear because you believe the person was late because she doesn’t care about you.In a calm voice, ask the person why she was late without judging or threatening her. Use "I"-focused statements. For example: "I am feeling hurt that you were late to our lunch. Why were you late?" You will probably find that the reason why your friend was late was something innocuous, such as traffic or not being able to find her keys. The "I"-statements keep you from sound like you are blaming the other person.
Next Steps
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Health Tips
Find a counselor or therapist. If you feel overwhelmed by your negative experiences, you may benefit greatly from speaking to a counselor, in addition to practicing positive thinking exercises. Look for a therapist trained in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy.
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Hi, yes the symptoms that you have mentioned point towards BPD. There is depression as well. This combination drives one really crazy. Suicidal tendencies are a result of this. But this can be addressed appropriately. Your family is very much with you. Don't stop yourself from seeking help.
Next Steps
Kindly meet a psychiatrist for evaluation and treatment and he/ she will direct you to a counsellor/ psychologist who will guide you how to handle the crisis situation as well as life in general.
Health Tips
Remember one thing that no one is abandoning you, as you rightly said you feel it. Find out why, how, since when etc and work through it with a therapist. All the best.
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Borderline personality disorder causes
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Disclaimer : The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding your medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.